Fat Burner Pills Review: Are they a safe and effective tool for weight loss or just a marketing scam?
Are you looking for weight loss pills that will help you shed weight and keep it off? Weight loss supplements are typically not the most effective weight-loss method, but they can be a part of an overall weight-loss strategy.
Fat burner pills have become increasingly popular in recent years. There are many fat burners on the market today. How do we know which ones to trust and which ones to avoid? This blog post will review five different fat-burning supplements and discuss their effectiveness and limitations.
We will also provide general advice on the best overall approach to weight loss as we know this is something that billions of people worldwide are struggling with.
Blog outline
What are the 5 fat burner pills on the market that are making a lot of noise?
What are the things you should be aware of when it comes to supplements?
Green Tea
CLA
Guarana Seed
Caffeine
Teacrine
L-Tyrosine
L-Carnitine
Canephora Robusta
What would a health and science-based approach to weight loss consist of?
Why education is vital for long-term success?
Conclusion
1. What are the 5 fat burner pills on the market that are making a lot of noise?
Inno Shred from Innosupss
Innosups is an American-based company launched in 2019.
They have a wide range of sports supplements, from protein shakes to pre-workouts.
Their fat-burning supplement is called Inno Shred, and it represents a weight loss pill that is made with all-natural ingredients. It is said to help you lose weight by burning fat and suppressing your appetite.
One serving of Innoshred contains:
Green Tea Leaf Extract - 300mg
CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) - 300mg
Green Coffee (Coffee Arabica) Bean Extract - 300mg
Capsicum Fruit Extract - 100mg
Grains of Paradise (Aframomum melegueta) Seed (12.5% 6-Paradol) Ectraxt (Paradoxine) - 25mg
These fat burning pills are:
gluten-free
lab tested
veggie caps
vegan friendly
The price of this product is 40$, and it includes 60 capsules, 30 servings.
The recommendation is to take two pills 30 minutes before your workout.
Although very attractive and super tasty, we must admit that there is no scientific evidence to support the claims that this supplement is as effective as it claims to be.
Inoshred is an excellent example of a weight loss pill that sounds too good to be true because it probably is.
The Thermo-X from Myprotein
This product represents a carefully curated weight loss formula from perhaps the number 1 supplement company in the UK.
One serving contains:
Guarana Seed 200mg
Total Caffeine 157mg
TheaCrine 140mg
L-tyrosine 133mg
L-Theanine 83mg
Kola Nut 67mg
Korean Ginseng Extract 67mg
Choline 146mg
Cayenne Powder 33mg
Black Pepper Extract (BioPerine) 3mg
Vitamin B6, Chromium, and Vitamin B12
The price of this product is 74$, and it includes 180 capsules which represent 90 servings.
The recommendation is to take two pills 30 minutes before your workout.
As with almost all fat burners, there are no randomized control studies comparing groups using the product versus placebo, which means that we can only hope for the fat burners to have the same effects they promise in their marketing campaigns.
The individual ingredients in the products almost always have some data to support their fat-burning claims, but we do not know how a variety of ingredients mixed up together work and whether there are some minor or significant side effects from long-term use.
Animal Cuts from Animal Pack
Created in 1983, Animal Pak has been well established in the bodybuilding community. It is a USA-based company owned by Evan Centopani, an American professional bodybuilder, personal trainer, and nutritionist.
Animal Cut is what I would like to call a heavily stacked fat burner.
It has a few different complexes:
Stimulant Complex
Metabolic Complex
Thyroid Complex
Water Shedding Complex
Nootropic Complex
Cortisol Inhibiting Complex
CCK Boosting Complex
Bioavailability Complex
The price of this product is 41.95$, and it consists of 42 servings. Each packet represents one serving.
Animal Cut is a very comprehensive fat burner with many ingredients in it. It can be challenging to determine how effective it will be because of so many variables.
If you are looking for something powerful with thousands of great reviews and something that has been in the market for years, then Animal Cut might be a good weight loss supplement to try out.
Ripped Fast from Universal
Ripped Fast is a fat burner from Universal, another American supplement company established in 1977 during "the golden age of bodybuilding."
Ripped Fast serving contains:
Vitamin B6 (as pyridoxine HCI) 2mg
Chromium (as chloride, picolinate) 200mcg
Caffeine Anhydrous 125mg
Green Tea Leaf Extract (EGCG) 250mg
Diuretic and Metabolic Complex 1000mg
Alfalfa (herb)
Dandelion (root)
Uva Ursi (leaf)
Cayenne (fruit)
Cha-De-Bugre (aerial parts)
Lipotropic Complex 750mg
Choline Bitartrate
Lecithin
Inositol
As a dietary supplement, it is recommended to take 1-4 capsules with 250ml of the beverage of your choice. It is best to take it 30 minutes before working out.
The price of this product is 15.91$, and the package includes 120 pills.
Universal's Ripped Fast is supposed to help you remove excess water weight (subcutaneous) and burn stored body fat. It is also supposed to curb appetite and provide you with better mental focus and higher energy levels.
As with all brands, there are a lot of promises but very little evidence to support their magical fat-burning claims. However, same as with Animal Cut, I would always rather test a brand that has been on the market for years and has been well established in the health & wellness industry.
Hydroxycut Hardcore Elite from MuscleTech
This product comes to us from Muscletech, a Canadian company that has been producing supplements for over 25 years.
The main ingredients in this product are:
Canephora Robusta 200mg
Coleus 100mg
L-Theanine 100mg
The price of this product is 25$, and it comes in 100 capsules. Recommendations are not to exceed four capsules daily and take one capsule 30-60 minutes before main meals and one capsule 30 minutes before working out. The brand also suggests that people ease into it and perhaps start with 1-2 pills daily until they see how their bodies react.
On the Muscletech website, you will also see that they have listed actual studies to support their claims about some of the ingredients in this fat burner.
There has been some controversy surrounding Mucletech and some of its products. A class-action lawsuit was filed against Muscletech for its BCAA supplement in 2019. The company claimed that the supplement increased muscle protein synthesis, but it actually had a negative effect on muscle protein synthesis.
It is important to note that supplements produced in USA and Canada go through rigorous testing, whereas supplements from other countries might not have the same safety and quality regulations. It is all business, and people want to make more money which means that companies might cut corners, and I think that is something we need to shed some light on.
People are often very dependant on their fat burners and weight loss supplements to the extent that they can not even work out without them. But are these products essential and do what they claim, and more importantly, are they safe and without side effects?
2. What are the things you should be aware of when it comes to supplements?
Protein Spiking
Protein spiking is a technique used by some brands of supplements to increase their products' weight (and profits) without adding any extra protein by adding cheaper forms of nitrogen such as creatine, glycine, and taurine.
Protein spiking has become a common way for supplement manufacturers to reduce costs and cheat consumers. That is why it is so important to read the label when selecting protein supplements, weight loss pills, or any other wellness product.
Proudly made in (insert country name) true or false?
Supplement companies often claim that their products are made in one country when some or all of their ingredients are really sourced in another country and just packed in the country they put on their branding. The only way to know where the ingredients are from is to reach out to the manufacturers and ask.
Even big and reputable brands like Animal Pak have been caught with their pants down regarding this.
Side effects
It is not uncommon that fat burner pills have:
side effects,
banned substances
hidden ingredients
There have been many cases where the FDA would recall weight loss pills after a few people have been hospitalized or even died from liver failure.
Super Fat Burner was a diet and weight-loss pill that was recalled when the FDA found out that it had hidden ingredients that were not listed on the label.
Super Fat Burner had two hidden drugs in their weight loss pills:
Sibutramine (brand-name Meridia) was recalled in October 2010 after being linked to an increase in heart attack, irregular heart rhythm, stroke, and seizures.
Phenolphthalein, a popular over-the-counter laxative, was used for much of the 20th century and then suddenly taken off the market after animal studies showed a wide range of cancer-causing effects associated with long-term use.
Green Tea Fat Burner is another one of a long list of weight loss supplements whose side effects outweigh their ability to help your body burn body fat and lose weight.
This fat burner contains 400-mg of green tea extract with 50% EGCG. This ingredient has been associated with life-threatening liver problems in high doses, including hepatitis (liver inflammation) and even death.
If you want to learn more about ingredients that are regularly present in weight loss supplements but are bad for you, read this case report and literature review on acute liver failure caused by fat burners and dietary supplements.
I hope that all the information above about fat burner supplements was valuable and eye-opening to you so that you can make an informed and health-conscious decision if you ever opt for a thermogenic fat burner or any other weight loss supplement on the market today.
Now let's see if we can find some studies that show promising results regarding the effects on fat burning of some of the ingredients within these weight loss pills.
3. Green Tea
Green tea is a popular drink that is often consumed for weight loss. It contains caffeine and catechins, which have been shown to help with weight loss.
Caffeine and catechins are supposed to support weight loss by increasing the number of calories you burn and helping to reduce fat storage.
Both human and animal studies have shown that green tea has benefits when it comes to losing weight, preventing and treating obesity.
We require more thorough clinical trials that would be done on a larger scale over a more extended period with more control to know the optimal doses required to aid weight loss while avoiding any potential side effects that could incur from high doses.
So far, we know that green tea has a role in fat loss by reducing appetite and limiting fat absorption and synthesis while at the same time increasing energy expenditure through thermogenesis and fat oxidation.
To read more about the anti-obesity effects of green tea, check out this study published in 2014 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
4. CLA
CLA is short for Conjugated Linoleic Acid, found in beef & dairy products.
The weight loss effects have been investigated for a long time because of their potential weight management benefits. The results from the studies are mixed, but there seems to be some evidence that CLA might help with weight loss when combined with a healthy diet and exercise routine.
Here is one study that shows modest effects for weight loss.
What is crucial to note here is that a dose of 3.2 grams per day was used in this study, which is 2-2.5 grams higher than what is available in most supplements.
5. Guarana Seed
A study published in 2017. shows us that Guarana (Paullinia cupana), which is a plant that originated in Brazil, had some positive effects on weight loss. Guarana was able to assist with adipogenesis inhibition which means it prevented adipogenesis which is a process in which fat cells called adipocytes are developed and stored as adipose tissue (fat) in various sites within the body.
6. Caffeine
Caffeine has been thoroughly studied for many years. It is a powerful stimulant that operates to block a neurotransmitter called adenosine. By blocking adenosine, caffeine supports the increase in neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine, making us feel more energized and awake. That is how coffee helps you stay more active when you would feel tired.
Now let's see how caffeine can help you directly with weight loss. It does it by increasing the levels of adrenaline which can help mobilize fat to be used as energy. It also helps burn more calories and suppress appetite.
7. Teacrine
A 2016 study published in the Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition was one of the first studies to be done on Teacrine showed that it was safe at least for the 8-week duration of the study. Relatively short if you ask me. In terms of body composition measures, it did not have an effect, yet it managed to reduce LDL and total cholesterol.
L-theanine is naturally found in green tea, and some mushrooms and studies have shown that it reduces anxiety and helps manage stress. It also has a positive impact on cognition and improves the quality of sleep.
All of the above can positively impact weight loss combined with other lifestyle choices like exercise and good nutrition. However, when it comes to the direct impact of l-theanine as a fat burner, I must admit that I am unaware of any human studies to support that.
8. L-tyrosine
L-tyrosine, in theory, helps increase metabolism; therefore, they might work as a good fat burner, but data to support these claims are minimal.
L -tyrosine is a precursor to epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine. There are no studies specifically showing that L-tyrosine helps promote weight loss; still, it might be a good supplement for those trying to lose weight because of its impact on their metabolism.
9. L-Carnitine
L-carnitine is a naturally occurring amino acid that is used as a weight-loss supplement. It works by helping your body break down fat cells for energy, resulting in weight loss and an increase in lean muscle mass.
L-Carnitine effectively reduces weight, but only when combined with exercise and a healthy diet.
The doses that were shown to be effective in studies are between 1200-2000 mg/day. Most weight loss pills have between 200-500mg of carnitine per serving which is not enough for your body to have results.
Some side effects of L-Carnitine include nausea, diarrhea, and weight gain when combined with other weight loss supplements.
A meta-analysis of over 37 randomized control studies has concluded that l-carnitine supplementation provides a modest reducing effect on body weight, BMI, and fat mass. The impact is most shown in overweight and obese individuals.
10. Canephora Robusta
Canephora robusta is a coffee extract that is high in chlorogenic acids. Chlorogenic acids are a type of polyphenols that are plant-based antioxidants.
It's been shown that chlorogenic acids can help with weight loss by reducing the absorption of carbohydrates and increasing the burning of fat for energy.
One randomized double-blinded control, placebo-controlled, linear dose, crossover study showed that green coffee bean extract was a safe and inexpensive tool that positively impacted weight loss and obesity prevention in already overweight individuals.
Those are some of the ingredients present in most fat burner supplements that can help you lose weight and seem safe.
Now I would like to give you some practical training, nutrition, and lifestyle tips that can genuinely help you reduce body fat and get rid of unwanted kilograms.
11. What would a health and science-based approach to weight loss consist of?
Taking one of many weight loss supplements out there might help increase your heart rate, improve blood flood in the body, increase energy, and act as an appetite suppressant, which might positively impact your ability to lose weight or keep unwanted weight off. However, I am a firm believer that no supplement will ever be able to replace the health and weight loss benefits that you can get from the
application of healthy lifestyle changes,
creation of good eating habits, and
addition of a balanced exercise protocol.
Ingesting weight loss pills is easier, so how do you approach such a complex and time-consuming process like the one listed above?
Know your caloric needs?
Track your macros and remove the guesswork. It does not work only when you do not do it!
You can use an app like My Fitness Pal or Cronometer or reach out to us at Fortius, and we can create a personalized meal plan that will meet all your needs according to your specific goals. Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, omnivore, or carnivore, we can help you reach the results you want.
Inquire button: Abdul can we set up a questionnaire for nutrition?
Build a better engine!
For you to be able to burn fat more efficiently, you need to build a better engine, and that requires some fine tuning like:
Get your blood work done (check for Vitamin D deficiency, Iron levels, Fasting Blood sugar)
Vitamin D deficient people have a hard time building muscle mass and losing weight because their body is constantly inflamed.
Most people deficient in Iron have anemia which makes them feel fatigued, making it challenging to stick to any exercise routine.
A blood sugar level above 100mg/dL after fasting for at least eight hours indicates that you might be pre-diabetic and insulin resistant, which means that weight loss will get increasingly harder.
Introduce resistance training and cardiovascular exercise
Resistance training helps you build muscle mass so you can become a metabolic powerhouse that can help you burn more calories throughout the day, even when at rest.
In addition to weight training, make sure you do some cardio as well. Anything from walking on a treadmill for 30 minutes, jogging or swimming laps to get your heart rate up will help you build a better fat-burning engine.
We even have our Fortius Fit FREE Fitness APP that you can get here.
Prioritize sleep
Studies show that people that sleep less than 6 hours a night are more likely to be obese and have weight problems.
Getting the appropriate amount of sleep will help you build a better metabolic engine, improve your cognitive function, increase productivity at work or school, reduce stress levels, and make weight loss easier.
Manage stress
Acute stress has been shown to increase weight gain around the belly area, an effect that is compounded by lack of exercise. Stress will make you more prone to binge eating and poor sleep.
On top of that, you need to manage stress levels to improve your productivity, which will make weight loss easier.
For more information about stress management check out our Life Coaching services.
12. Why education is vital for long term success?
When we look at fat-burning ingredients in scientific studies, we can see that the weight loss effect is mild at best, resulting in just a few kilograms during the length of the study.
In cases where the calories were equated for the placebo group and the control group, we saw 0.94 kg weight loss for green coffee bean extract and a weight gain of -0.24 kg for the placebo group after two months on the exact dosage as what you find in fat burners on the market today (300mg).
Some studies show slightly better results but nothing that would blow your mind. My takeaway from this is that if you purchase fat burners with the hope that they by themselves will get your body the results you want without making the necessary lifestyle changes, you will waste time, money and even risk some potential side effects to be able to lose 2-3 kilograms that you can put back on within a few weeks if not being careful.
Thankfully today, we know what humans need to do to get the weight loss results they want. The main two problems why this does not always work are:
the lack of knowledge or simply the inability of personal trainers, fitness gurus to convey the message and simplify the process so that you as a client can have a clear understanding of the process and actions needed to take to get the results you want and
your inability to commit to completing the necessary actions required for you to achieve your specific goal.
So if you are someone who is confused about the whole process and you want to know answers to the following:
what it will take you to achieve your results
how long it will take you
what are the minimum commitments in terms of training frequency
what type of training is optimal for you
how to structure your diet
which foods to avoid
how much food you should eat
if you have an underlying condition and you are not sure whether you should diet or exercise
13. Conclusion
Fat Burners may not be the weight loss miracle that you’ve been looking for. In fact, they might even have some negative side effects depending on your health and weight goals. Thankfully it is possible to achieve weight loss with just a few simple lifestyle changes like exercise, sleep management, diet modification, stress reduction techniques, and more! We provide personal training services in addition to online training courses so make sure to check out our website if you want science-based results!
Stay Strong #BeFortius
